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11-02-2022 12:31am
Police Log: Drivers Flee from Two Different Accident Scenes, Price of Free Wi-Fi and Other Stories
Darlene Cancell
Editor
The news described in Westwood Minute's Police Log article is primarily based on selected information from the Westwood Police Department's daily log and information provided by Lieutenant Christopher Sheehy and police staff. Occasionally, a few facts from other sources may be woven into these stories.
Sunday, October 30th
Rear-end Accident Causes Chain-Reaction with Injuries
7:33 a.m. A three-car chain-reaction accident occurred on Lowder Brook Drive as the result of a rear-end collision.Â
A 2014 Ford pickup driven by a man from Westwood rear-ended a 2014 BMW driven by a woman from Medfield. The BMW had been stopped on Lowder Brook Drive at the traffic light at the High Street intersection. The collision pushed the BMW into the car ahead of it – a 2012 Honda driven by a man from Medfield - which was also stopped at the traffic light.Â
The woman driving the BMW and a passenger of the Honda were both injured. They were transported by Westwood Fire paramedics to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital Needham.
Sounds Like Fireworks
6:57 p.m. Police received several calls from residents who reported hearing the sound of possible fireworks in the area of High Street and Lake Shore Drive. Police investigated the area but did not hear anything.
Saturday, October 29th
Asleep at the Wheel
4:54 a.m. An officer was patrolling the intersection of Washington and East streets when the officer observed a red, Ford Focus stop in the adjacent lane, with a driver who appeared to be asleep at the wheel.Â
The officer pulled behind the Focus, turned on the cruiser’s blue lights, and approached to wake up the driver. In conversation, the officer noticed signs of possible alcohol intoxication and conducted a sobriety test.Â
The subject, a man from Walpole, passed the test. However, out of an abundance of caution, the man agreed to park the vehicle and have a friend drive him home.
Friday, October 28th
One Thing Leads to Another
9:42 a.m. An officer was assisting at a construction site on High Street when the officer observed a grey Volvo passing by with an expired registration sticker. The officer made a traffic stop at High Street and Westland Avenue.Â
Upon obtaining the driver’s identification, the officer found that there was a straight warrant for the driver’s arrest from Dedham District Court for failure to appear before the court on an earlier charge. The officer cited the driver for operating an unregistered motor vehicle. The officer also made an arrest pursuant to the warrant. The driver was held for an arraignment that same morning.
Resident Loses $9,000 from Joint Account with Acquaintances
10:32 a.m. A resident of Rock Meadow Road complained of a fraudulent transaction involving the opening of a joint account with two acquaintances. The Westwood resident had opened a joint account, with one acquaintance and owner of the account depositing 60 percent of the money, and the complainant and the other acquaintance and account owner depositing the other 40 percent.Â
The bank informed the Westwood resident that a check deposited by one of the other two joint account owners was fraudulent. The complainant reported losing $9,000 from his personal account as a result.
Suspect Identified in Stolen Credit Card Purchases
11:07 a.m. Police received a call from a resident of New Hampshire who reported that someone had attempted to use her credit card which had been stolen at Target in Westwood. There were two transactions on October 28, 2022 for $24 and $50.
Police worked with Target’s asset protection staff to review surveillance video and identify a possible suspect. The suspect was wearing black sweatpants, white sneakers, a black, puffy jacket, and blue surgical mask. The victim stated that she did not know anyone matching that appearance.
When Free Wi-Fi Comes at a Price
7:12 p.m. An officer conducting handicap parking enforcement at University Station noticed a Nissan crossover that was parked without a handicap placard showing. The officer approached the vehicle to check more carefully for a handicap placard. The officer discovered a juvenile was inside the vehicle.
The officer spoke with the youth and learned that the vehicle’s driver did not have a placard, but had parked in the handicap spot because it was within the Wi-Fi footprint of the store. The youth was therefore able to use the store’s Wi-Fi while waiting in the vehicle.Â
The officer issued a parking ticket to the driver by leaving it under the windshield wiper.
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Thursday, October 27th
Missing Money
9:34 a.m. A resident of Longwood Drive reported noticing that several hundred dollars had been removed from his apartment. He first noticed that the money was missing on October 26, 2022. Police are investigating.
Driver at Fault in Crash Flees Accident Scene
1:07 p.m. A crash involving a 2020 Toyota, driven by a man from Boston, and a 2015 Mazda, driven by a man from Andover, occurred on Providence Highway at the intersection of Route 1 South and the common driveway of the Seasons Corner Market and Dunkin’. The Toyota was turning out of the driveway and failed to yield to the Mazda which was travelling in the left lane of Route 1 South.
The Toyota received damage to its front. The Mazda was damaged on its side.
Immediately after the crash, the driver of the Toyota fled the scene on foot. However, he was successfully located at the Budget Inn on Providence Highway.
Both vehicles required towing. Police cited the driver of the Toyota for leaving the scene of an accident and failing to yield while turning right. Neither party was injured.
One Thing Leads to Another, and Another
6:49 p.m. An officer was making a traffic stop at the corner of Providence Highway and Glacier Drive, during which the officer observed a vehicle with a loud exhaust driving in the area around the nearby car dealerships. Shortly beforehand, the noisy vehicle had been seen traveling on the opposite side of Route 1. The officer ran a check on the license plate and discovered that the registered owner had a cancelled driver’s license.
After completing the traffic stop, the officer searched the area for the loud vehicle and found it in the Mercedes Benz dealership parking lot. In conversation with the operator, the officer learned that the driver was not the registered owner. However, the driver’s own license had been suspended and there was a warrant out for his arrest.
Police made the arrest, and bail was set at $300. The driver, a 22 year-old man from Stoughton, received a citation for driving on a suspended license and a vehicle equipment violation.
Another Flight from the Scene of an Accident
7:04 p.m. Westwood Police received a call for assistance from State Police. At the scene of a crash on I-95 South involving a Hyundai, a male party involved in the crash had fled on foot. Westwood Police sent a couple of cruisers. Within a few minutes of the call for assistance, State Police notified Westwood Police that the subject was in custody.
Tuesday, October 25th
Keeping the Peace
6:31 p.m. Police were dispatched to Budget Inn to meet two people who were retrieving their belongings from a room. One had been a long-term occupant of the inn, but he was parting ways with management staff. He had requested police presence to help mediate or referee the situation. Some items were retrieved, and more were left to be picked up at a later date.
Thanks to Lieutenant Christopher Sheehy and the Westwood Police Department for contributing information for this article.
